REVIEW > HANSAS, LEEDS

I will put this out there and say this may be the spiciest curry I ever had. So this week a friend of mine turned 21, bearing in mind that the birthday girl is vegan and we are just entering our pre-exam period, our choices for a relaxed, vegan-friendly meal were limited. Hansas, however, is a widely celebrated traditional Gujarati Indian restaurant, serving *no meat*. If you're looking for your average sweet and salty Saturday night chicken Korma...go somewhere else. Hansas food is traditional Gujarati cuisine, offering thali's with daal, chapati and sweet mango lassi's. Between us we ordered a huge range of dishes; the mixed platter came with a spicy stuffed pepper, vegetable koftas and a mini potato cake. For mains, I ordered a 'lightly spiced' Indian pumpkin dish. The pumpkin was something I'd never had before, light green in colour and tasting more like a pepper than pumpkin. 'Lightly spiced' was also an understatement. Everyone round the table was chugging water and wiping eye bag sweat whilst trying to remain cool and collected. In usual circumstances I am a fan of spice and as good as it tasted for the first couple of mouthfuls, the heat was a tad too much for me- next time I'll order a side of raita. The desserts were possibly the most interesting course. We shared a 'fudge pie', which from a Westernised point of view, was neither fudge nor pie. The 'Ghari' was a sweet pastry ball, filled with bright green pistachio and almond from what I can tell... The birthday girl ordered a sweet carrot dish, flavoured with almonds and sugar. Yes. It tasted like sweet carrots. Overall my dining experience at Hansas was unusual but a flavour experience. I arrived not really knowing what to expect and received just that. I would recommend this anyone who wants to try traditional Gujarati cuisine (but only if they like spice). I will hopefully return, next time armed with a pint of milk.